User blog:Salamimami/Danganronpa: Dead on Arrival
its finally here my dudes! unfortunately i couldnt finish the "little surprise" that delayed this for so long but the writing is done! yayeet! and of course, content warning - while this is obviously safe for now, it wont be for long! its a murder game, after all, so you should probably expect some gory, gruesome deaths. hopefully thatll be the worst of it though! REPORT CARD - supplied for your convenience! just a way to keep track of the entire cast PROLOGUE - TEMPTATION OF CERTAIN FATE Breathe. Breathe. What was the trick again? In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Breathe. Everyone is safe. Justice will come. Breathe. Calm down. ... What do I know? What do I remember? My name is Akimi Yukimori. I go to a school known as Hope’s Peak Academy. This makes me known as an Ultimate. The school is for talented people. Everyone in the school has a different Ultimate talent. I am the Ultimate Correctional Officer. My classmates… Didn’t I look into the school before coming here? Did I not find a single name or talent? I rubbed my head, my face, looking around. AKIMI YUKIMORI ULTIMATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER Planks spread out beneath my body, where I lie in a room completely empty, save for a door in the distance, familiar weights on my belt and in my pocket, and two items on the floor, one a basic flashlight, the other a small tablet. With a creak of the wearing floorboards, I step to my feet and brush off my clothes, letting out a small sigh of relief as my hands brush the baton in my belt. The floor beneath me continued to groan until I reached the flashlight and plucked it off the ground. My fingers fell on a button, and soon enough, a glow was cast around the room. The tablet would have to wait for later; I simply pocketed it for now, after a moment of turning it over in my hand, checking to no avail for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. Nothing but the door and the flashlight in my hand. With my free hand on the baton, I pushed my way through the door, letting it creak open just as the rest of the tiny building had. The sky was dark overhead, with a soft ground beneath my feet. Despite the fog that filled the air, it was rather warm, and despite the dark sky, there were no moon or stars to be seen. Both the hanging lanterns that seemed to float in the fog, as well as the beam of my flashlight, revealed a row of buildings - buildings which, upon a more careful look, seemed just as worn down as the one I was in. I followed the path the lanterns created, until they came to an end and all faded to darkness. I walked further away from the lanterns, my feet meeting ground just as before, not seeming to come to an end anytime soon, though when I looked around me, my eyes only met dense fog. The flashlight, at this point, was no help in breaking it, the entire world around me as dark as the sky ahead, to the point where I could not see so much as my own feet. Blinking, I stepped back to the lantern-lit path. I followed them, all sixteen of them, to the other side this time. There was no fog to be seen on this end. Instead, rows upon rows of dense forest stretched out from a circle, the stone ground as soft as what seemed to be a dirt path. Looking around the circle, fifteen people had gathered and waited, in any manner from virtually hiding in the woods, to standing in circles of conversation on the ground, to one reclining himself atop the large angel of white marble that watched over the group. He opened a single eye, the other of which was hidden under dark bangs, and gave a wave of the hand below. “Took your sweet-ass time, did’ja?” He adjusted his position on the tops of the angel’s outstretched wings, resting a gloved hand on the tip of one for support. “I just woke up a minute ago. Is there a reason for you climbing all over that statue?” “...Bored…” “So there isn’t?” A girl huffed. “He’s just a hooligan. Don’t mind him.” “Hello!” A boy called over to me, waving. Before long, he turned back to a couple girls he was talking to. “Hey, be nice,” a suit-clad girl told him with a light elbow. “C’mon, stranger, introduce yourself.” He turned back to me, waving me over. With a nod, I followed, relaxing a bit once I was part of the group. “I’m Kaito Aoki! Sorry, just got a little excited there!” KAITO AOKI ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHY CHOREOGRAPHER “Wow, you look so cool, what’s your talent?” Kaito’s golden eyes lit up, a little more so than they already were. I kept myself from relaxing more than I already had, upon taking in his appearance. His hair, a sort of messy blend between blues and purples, hung into his eyes, held down by a black beanie. He wore T-shirt, a red hoodie, and ripped-up jeans, with red-and-white sneakers and a number of piercings in his ears. “I am the Akimi Yukimori. My talent is the Ultimate Correctional Officer. Nice meeting you.” I held out a hand to Kaito, which he gleefully shook. “Oh my god! So you’re like a cop?” “Sort of. My talent focuses on the monitoring of inmates in a prison.” A guy to the side rolled his eyes, though kept his distance. In fact, his entire appearance and demeanor reflected the idea that he couldn’t care less, about the strange situation and the people surrounding him alike, from his punkish manner of dress to his slouched posture to the way his long, black-and-red hair hung in his face with no regard for keeping in the ponytail he kept it in. The girl accompanying Kaito gave him a look, then turned back to me. “Don’t mind him. He’s just bein’ a wallflower. Anyways, Akimi was it? Name’s Casey.” She gave a nod of introduction, giving a quick tip of her train conductor’s hat. Underneath the hat, her curly blonde hair puffed out, laced with green streaks. She had hazel eyes and a face full of freckles, though that was the only skin she really showed. From there, it was something of a suit done in different shades of blue-greys, finished off with a long overcoat with a pocket watch chain hanging out of the pocket, and a pair of light grey gloves on her hands. CASEY CITALY-SPIROS ULTIMATE TRAIN OPERATOR “Nice meeting you as well.” “Let’s see, we’ve got the Ultimate Train Operator,” Kaito pointed to Casey, “and the Ultimate, uh… Sorry, what was it again?” He called over to the guy, cupping a hand around his mouth. “Ultimate Equestrian. Name’s Phantom.” PHANTOM REGIMENT ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN “Ultimate Equestrian! God, I love all your talents! You’re all so cool~ It’s gonna be great getting to know you too! Oh my god-” He tapped another girl. “Hey, uh- You never told me where you got those roller skates?” She rolls around, digging into a bag to pull out a small orange ball with a face. Her own expression stayed completely blank, just a gentle smile and practically staring at Kaito with honey-brown eyes. As she settled into her spot on the cobblestones, she shifted her feet, allowing the wheels of her roller skates to stay still in the cracks. She wore knee and shoulder guards to accompany the skates, as well as short overalls and an embellished jacket, and her hair was kept short with choppy, uneven ends, and tied back to boot. “Does it look like Momiji got them here?” “Hey, no need to be mean. He asked a question.” I give a faint smile for a second, then slip back to normal. Kaito flinched a little. “Sorry! I just didn’t get an answer and, uh... I honestly just wanted to see if I could snatch a pair!” He laughed. “What’s this little guy?” She dug through her bag again, pulling out a large teddy bear, white with various black features. “That’s Kaki. It really doesn’t like you right now.” “Well tell Kaki that it’s really nice to meet him!” He laughed again. “And what’s your name?” “I’m Hakukoku!” “No, uh… Momiji?” “She’s Momiji. Momiji Yotsuba.” Momiji pointed the bear’s arm up to point to her own face. MOMIJI YOTSUBA ULTIMATE PUPPETEER “I got it right! Well nice meeting both of you! Your puppets are really nice!” Now, she pulled out a doll of a magical girl. “Aww, thank you!” “They really are adorable…~” I looked up from the two’s interaction to find a rather short and frail-looking guy, watching the puppeteer from a short distance, hands together. Momiji, as well, gave him a stare, dead as ever. “Ah, I d-didn’t mean to offend… Is there a problem…?” “I think she’s just confused, is all!” Kaito gave a reassuring wave. “No sweat, right, Momiji?” The magical girl doll got swapped out for a lumpy purple cloud. “Have you just been watching us?” “It’s just a bit of an eavesdropping habit, I’m really sorry… But they really are!” He shifted his weight from foot to foot, making his pinkish hair bounce out of his eyes and then back in the way. The guy was practically swimming in a giant, pastel blue sweater, paired with shorts and knit socks with no shoes. The magical girl doll came back out, and Momiji’s blank face grew a little pink. “You all really are too kind! Momiji appreciates it very much!” “You can tell Momiji that it’s all well-deserved~” He gave a gentle smile, and I almost couldn’t help but let one start to creep onto my own. “Aww, thank you!” “Ah, I’m Kishiko, by the way… Kishiko Aikawa~” Kishiko pulled a hand out from the depths of his sleeve, offering a handshake which I gladly accepted. KISHIKO AIKAWA ULTIMATE COUNSELOR “Akimi Yukimori. Nice to meet you.” “Oh, you too, you too~” “Ya met anyone else ‘round here? This place’s full of weird people.” “I just got here, you’re the first people I’ve really met here.” By the time I spoke, Casey had already turned away, muttering to herself with arms crossed. “C’mon, go say hi! Be social! Make friends! Uh...” Kaito took a second to look around, then pointed towards a girl clad in a witch’s robe and matching hat. “That’s Ameko! She’s a riot. Go get to know her a little better!” “Alright, alright. I’ll go say hi.” As I approached, the girl turned around to meet me, greeting me with wide golden eyes and an equally wide smile. She held onto the decorated brim of her hat as she spun around, letting her long blue pigtails and dark cape flare out, the latter hitting her before she shifted it back in place. “Hello, hello~!” “You’re Ameko, right?” “Unmei, Unmei! Please, refer to me as Unmei!” Each repetition of the name was paired with Ameko closing her hands, then opening them, spreading her hands out like a starburst. “Wherever did you hear of such a name?” AMEKO SUNOHARA ULTIMATE INDIE GAME DEVELOPER “Kaito said that was your name.” “Oh, what a whimsical young man~ Huhuhu~” “That is your name, is it not? Why else would he have suggested it?” “Oh, of course not, of course not! Ah, he must have misheard my words, he must have...” “Please. In troubling circumstances such as these, it would be more than appropriate to drop such an act.” “It is far from an act, sir! Please, at least wait until I get your name before pelting me with such slander!” Ameko stamps her foot on the ground, throwing her arms out to her sides and tilting her head up to the eavesdropping man. In turn, he glances back down at her. His expression, unlike Ameko’s, remained neutral and almost cold, which wasn’t helped by the way he had to look down to talk to her, keeping his head itself still. Dark stubble and hair framed the sides of his face, save for the blonde hair at the top of his head. The rest of him was just as well-put-together as his neat hair, with a dark shirt and dress pants finished off by a vest and a large, frilly cravat around his neck. “Valerian Fujimoto. Now I beg you, will you be so kind as to drop the theatrics?” VALERIAN FUJIMOTO ULTIMATE PLAYWRIGHT “Theatrics?” She stood up on her toes before dropping back down with a small tap, and another, of her heels against the ground. “Whatever are you talking about?” “Hey, hey, we really gotta fight? We just got here!” A girl stepped backwards into the arguing pair, stumbling a little before swiftly catching herself on her other foot. Her teal-tipped braids twirled in the air as she turned around, virtually stomping a sneaker-clad foot on the ground as she tugged on her camouflage jacket. Valerian simply leaned around the girl and the pair kept their bickering. “Trust me, they weren’t fighting. If they were, I’d be able to handle it.” “So would I!” She squeezed one eye shut, flexing an arm - though, of course, they didn’t really show under her jacket. Her arm then relaxed, though she kept it in place, and she tilted her head as she looked off. “I dunno, I’d like to think I’m, like, kinda good at kickin’ butt?” “We don’t need to beat anyone up.” “Why would we need to? Come on, bro, they’re just talking…” A guy showed up seemingly out of nowhere. An impressive feat, for how… bright he was. The dark browns of his skin and hair only accentuating the brightness of his outfit: a compression suit covered his neck and legs, with a white-and-yellow T-shirt and green basketball shorts topped off with equally neon sneakers and a green-and-gold hoodie covered in sponsorship logos. The girl elbowed him in the side, causing him to stumble back a step and grab his side. “He-hey, that hurt! Watch where you’re throwin’ those elbows…” She let out a huff. “Don’t sneak up on me like that, aight? Don’t wanna have to demonstrate.” “Demonstrate what?” “Wanna find out?” “No thanks.” “Thought so! Well then, either of ya! You need some butt kicked, Eve Maddox’s your gal!” She flexed her arm yet again. EVANGELINE MADDOX ULTIMATE SOCCER PLAYER “He-hey, what about good ol’ Teddy?” The boy added. “Well either of you seem effective in neutralizing a threat. If I need backup I’ll let you know.” “Backup it is… Whatever you say, boss.” “Is that a bad thing?” “I dunno, just think, y’know, the Ultimate Urbex would be a bit more than backup?” “Hey, we’re all Ultimates here! That’s nothing!” “Ultimate Urbex?” “Urban Explorer! Name’s Teddy Monroe, by the way.” JUPITER MONROE ULTIMATE URBAN EXPLORER “‘Kay. So you explore... urban places.” Evangeline pointed her fingers at thin air as she spoke. Then, she wrinkled her eyebrows together. “That really Ultimate material?” “Abandoned places! Sewer systems, abandoned buildings…” “So you’re just a troublemaker?” “He-hey, it’s not all for shits and giggles! I do good things too!” “Alright, alright. Well, I ought to get going. There’s a lot of people here and I plan on getting to know all of them a bit. It was nice meeting you two.” Despite one final ‘he-hey’ from Teddy as he tried to convince me to stay around, I pushed past the pair, continuing around the circle in the path Kaito had set me on. Another person gave a two-second glance at me as I passed him, and I stopped. He stared off into space, sat on the floor. “Yes?” He simply turned to look over his shoulder, then went back to staring off when realizing no one was there. “Sir? ...With the white hair?” I went with the first thing I noticed, and pointed directly at him. He finally turned his face up to me, and with that I could get a look at the rest of his appearance, which was rather easy to do compared to some of the other people here. His skin, eyes, and hair were all rather pale in color, and he wore a basic uniform, buttoned shirt, black blazer, and dress pants, the only thing even remotely eye-catching being the yellow tie around his neck. “...Hello.” “Hi. Are you part of this weird circumstance as well?” His eyes shifted from side to side. “Yes.” “Well.” I sat on the ground as well, resting one hand in my lap and offering the guy a handshake. “My name is Akimi Yukimori. It’s probably best that we get acquainted.” “Certainly.” He raised his own hand, and we exchanged a very formal, albeit awkward, handshake. I resisted the urge to cringe a little at the condition of his skin. “Might I get your name?” “Moze Abergel.” MOSES ABERGEL ULTIMATE ??? “...Are you alright? You’re over here just staring off.” Instead of a response from Moses himself, I got a pair of leather boots approaching my side, buckles and chains rattling a little as they went. “Don’t bother getting a conversation out of him. He doesn’t want to bother.” The owner of the boots, the girl from earlier, offered a hand clad in a studded, fingerless leather glove. I accepted, standing to my feet. She straightened her posture more than it already was, trying to close the height gap between us. Her hair hung dangerously close to falling in her face, swept over her left shoulder, and most of it was dyed a bright red. She wore a biker jacket covered in pins of different flags and a pair of jeans, both of which were rather worn. “Asocial?” For a split-second, she cracked a smile at me, before returning to her more stoic expression. “Lazy.” “What’s wrong with takin’ it easy?” The guy on top of the statue, who had since climbed down, protested. “Seems like you need some’a that, actually.” “God, didn’t your mother teach you how to speak?” “My mama didn’t teach me nothin’,” he laughed out. “She didn’t teach you anything.” Her voice grew stern, and she rolled her eyes a little. “No-thin’.” He made sure to emphasize every last sound in the word. “Okay, sir, now you’re just picking a fight.” “Hey! Let him have his fun!” A third person whined. They tilted their head, making the large ahoge on their head shift from one direction to the other. “Do you guys seriously find this fun?” “Yep!” Again, he made sure to emphasize the ‘p’, creating a popping sound. The girl cringed with a twitch of her large aqua eyes, earning a smirk from the navy-haired man. “You’re disgusting, Okamoto.” “Okamoto?” “Sora Okamoto~” He tossed his long fringe out of the way to wink at me, and pointed a gloved finger-gun my way. He stood a few inches taller than myself, with that dark hair falling right back in his eyes. He bore a tan face with a bandage on the chin, and dark clothes, a simple outfit completed by a long jacket with the collar flipped up. “Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, darlin’.” SORA OKAMOTO ULTIMATE WINGMAN “Nice to meet you, Sora.” “Introductions aside… I’m an imbecile, now, aren’t I~?” He rests an arm on the girl’s shoulder, only for her to immediately shove it away. “Don’t touch me, imbecile.” “Oh shit, I’m an imbecile!” The guy suddenly pulled away, holding his hands over his mouth. He then relaxed, going right back where he was with nothing more than a shrug. “That’s enough. I won’t allow a fight to happen. Both of you, stop, or I will have to use force, and nobody here wants that.” I stepped forward, wedging myself between the arguing pair. “Okay, okay, dad…” The man groaned the final word. “Please, call me Akimi Yukimori.” “Ina Bunmaru,” the girl said, once again offering a hand in a handshake. Agitation dripped from her face, carrying over into a rather tight grip on my hand. INA BUNMARU ULTIMATE LINGUIST “Alright, calm down, Ina. We’re all tense, we just need to not act upon it.” I looked down into her eyes, giving a faint smile of reassurance. She nodded, relaxing her face and hand with a sigh. “I’ll listen, at least for now. Glad to know there’s someone sane here.” “Hmm, is there, really?” The large tuft of hair poked into the conversation again, with its owner along with it. “Well, I suppose we all have our quirks…” Another girl giggled some, but didn’t move out of the tree she could be found in. “Get out of the tree if you’re gonna talk to us.” A man droned, from where Sora had come from. “Oh, of course! Didn’t really… mean to speak up, just kind of a slip of the tongue~ Is that the right word? But- of course! I’d love talking to you guys!” She climbed out, stumbling a little as she landed. She put a hand up to adjust her star-shaped glasses, smiling at us as they began to light up, illuminating her dull blue ponytail and tan face, though her purple eyes went unfazed. She wore a tank top and shorts, along with leggings and a red hoodie which both were decorated with a starry pattern. “Shit, how’d’ja score those?” Sora laughed. “I just… I just got them from a store…? Isn’t that just how you normally buy glasses?” “Nah, you gotta buy ‘em off the black market nowadays! Congrats, darlin’, you’re a criminal~” “What, can’t come up with a more creative lie?” The other man he’d been talking to laughed heartily, putting a hand to his chest. “He’s not lying! How dumb are you?” The redhead stomped their foot on the ground, staring up at the guy with mismatched eyes: a gold left eye and a blue right eye. They wore a dark green, short-sleeved hoodie paired with a long-sleeved shirt, shorts, and boots. Every time they moved, the tuft - easily longer than the rest of their unevenly-cut long hair - bounced and moved with them. “Oh, shut up, kid.” “Kid? I’m the Ultimate Liar, don’t you think I’ve got something to say?” “Wait just a second.” I held a hand out. “Ultimate Liar?” “Yeah! Kaoru Maza!” KAORU MAZA ULTIMATE LIAR “Akimi Yukimori.” “What, are we introducing ourselves?” “That would be appreciated.” “Fine. Madison Cavalier. But doesn’t the face already ring a bell?” He pointed a hand to his face to demonstrate. It was definitely a distinctive face, virtually all angles, framed with long black and white hair falling out of a ponytail. The rest of him was far less flashy, opting for a leather jacket over a basic shirt, jeans, and sneakers… though, my eyes immediately jumped to the sheathed sword on his belt. I opened my mouth to question it, but instead left it as a mental note. MADISON CAVALIER ULTIMATE DUELIST “Am I really a criminal…? Who’s- Who’s lying?” “Of course you aren’t!” Ina ran her hands through her hair. “At least, you don’t look like the type. Give it a rest, boys.” Kaoru blinked, tilting their head. “Hey, we’re just having fun!” “Oh, go ahead and have fun! I don’t mind, really.” The girl smiled. “But I’m a criminal for wearing these?” She blinked and took her glasses off, switching off the lights and squinting at us. “Of course not. They’re just being immature.” “Ohh, okay!” She put them back on, leaving the lights off this time. “Now, would you care to tell me your name?” “My name? Why do ya want it?” “I’m just trying to acquaint myself with this crowd. My name is Akimi Yukimori, myself.” “Fijuri Austrella! You can call me Fiju~” FIJURI AUSTRELLA ULTIMATE ASTRONOMER “Alright, then, Fiju. Now, you’re sure you’re okay?” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course! Never been better~ Sure is depressing we can’t see the stars, though, huh?” “Yeah, that would be nice… Maybe it’s just the weather. Can’t be permanently like that.” “You’re right… Ooh, maybe we can try and look around! Find somewhere prettier to see the stars!” “If we divide up, maybe we can cover more ground more quickly.” “What, are you a horror movie protagonist? We have no idea where we are and you decide to split up.” “Let’s go in a group, then. I technically have a weapon. I can defend you two if need be.” Ina tossed her flashlight between her hands. “These flashlights seem pretty heavy-duty too. We should be fine. You don’t need to defend us.” “Well, hopefully we don’t need to use them in the first place…” Fijuri laughed nervously, then put her hands around one of each of ours. “Come on, let’s go!” “Upupu… You’re leaving already?” Fijuri yelped, turning around to see where the voice came from. Perched upon the angel statue was an odd-looking teddy bear, half-black and half-white, split down the middle. He relaxed on the angel’s head, dangling his legs. Not long after the bear made his presence clear, another person ran up and started to climb the statue. “IS THAT A FUCKIN’ BEAR?!” Teddy squeaked out the words, eyes wide. “That ain’t any ol’ bear…” “Bear? What kind of uncivilized savage do you think I am?” The bear moved, putting a hand over his forehead. His mouth, quickly gaining my attention, moved as it spoke. “Holy shit, it talks too?!” Ina sighs. “If you aren’t a bear, then what are you?” “You don’t know who I am? I’m Monokuma, obviously!” “Monokuma? Oh my god, are you a real bear? You don’t look like a normal bear, but, uh… are you? Damn, that came out rude.” “I told you what I am! I’m Monokuma!” “But, excuse me, Mr. Bear… What is… a Monokuma…?” “Oh, y’know~” “No, no, you’re misunderstanding us, foul beast! No one in this fair land has heard of such a thing as a ‘Monokuma’. Would you care to grace us with your boundless knowledge?” “A Monokuma is a Monokuma! The ruler of this ‘fair land’ you speak of!” It put a hand to its chest, only to drop the act, letting its hands hang limp at its sides. “I’m the mascot of the killing game. But, if none of you are gonna listen to what I have to say…” “We’re listening, bear. We’ve been listening this whole time.” “Hold up, hold up.” Eve waved her hands in the air. “What’s this talk of a killing game, now?” “What, is this your first rodeo?” “Just explain what you mean by a killing game, dumb puppet!” Momiji squeaked, behind Kaki. “I’m not a puppet! I’m a real bear!” He jumped down, putting his arms up. “You said you’re not a bear. Are you or are you not?” “Stop fucking contradicting yourself! It’s getting ridiculous!” “I live for ridiculous!” “Pardon me, ursine, but you can’t sincerely expect us to regard you as a threat with such inconsistent, not to mention eccentric, behavior.” “Upupu… I have other ways of making a threat! Would you like to be an example?” “No, thank you.” “That’s what I thought! Well, if you guys’ll be willing to listen~… On with the killing game! It’s pretty simple. All you need to do is get away with murder! Just kill someone, then hide the evidence so you can get through the trial without getting someone on your ass! Easy as pie!” “Trial?” “To be expected of a murder case. Of course, hopefully the need for a trial won’t arise… On the other hand, if we do, doesn’t that mean we can at least get the proper authorities on this?” “Oh, this won’t be an ordinary ol’ trial, mister copper! You guys’ll be on the case yourself! Gathering evidence, figuring out what it means... And maybe you'll even to get a little blood on your hands too~! All depends on what you count as that, I suppose." “Well, we’re not doing this. We won’t play your horrific excuse of a game.” “Then you’ll have to die! Damn, not even playing your chance at surviving… Maybe you shouldn’t throw that away this early on! Wait for things to get all fun and tense, Miss Bunmaru!” “How do you know my name?” “Hey, we aren’t throwin’ our lives away! We just don’t wanna die from some stupid fucking game!” “Stand down, Madison.” I held up a hand in his direction. “Don’t make any rash decisions.” “Rash decisions my ass!” With a huff of air, the single red streak in his hair fluttered up. “That damn bear really think he’s gettin’ us to play this ‘game’?” “Well of course you will! You’ll die if you don’t, and if you forget that… Upupu, we’ll just worry about that when the time comes, won’t we? Now, do you guys have any more questions, or should we get on with the killin’?” “...Why?” “Why what, ghostie?” “Why are you here?” “Because of one of you, of course!” “Who is it? Time to show ‘em what we’re made of!” “Oh, I’m not gonna tell you! That would totally ruin the surprise!” “So one of us is responsible for the situation we’re in. A mastermind, essentially… hiding in plain sight.” “Couldn’t’ve said it better myself!” “Then we just need to weed out this mastermind and we’re out of here.” “Not necessarily. They could still have a trick up their sleeve.” “I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out for yourself! Upupupu… Just survive long enough and maybe you’ll get to know!” “Just survive long enough?” “Of course, of course! We can thrive here without bloodshed, can we not? I can’t scarcely imagine anyone here would have the nerve to slay another man!” Ameko threw her arms out into the air, hands outspread and eyes comparable to dinner plates in their size. “Upupu… You tell yourself that, little one! Go ahead! You can’t escape the truth! You *can* try and escape your eventual killer, though, so you might want to start running!” “We will never surrender, foul beast!” “Even if you don’t listen to me now, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to follow the rules! I wouldn’t want to have to make an example of our little witch…~” “Would you care to explain these rules, then? If we are expected to follow them.” “What, can none of you read?” “With a global literacy rate of roughly 86%, it seems highly unlikely that everyone here is illiterate, Mr. Monokuma, sir.” “Ohoho, sir~! We’re getting fancy here~! Well, if you can read after all, why is it that you don’t know the damn rules by now?” “Mr. Bear, there’s nothin’ to read!” Teddy laughed his words out. “What about it?” “You expect us to familiarize ourselves with your regulations… without any way of doing so…?” “You have a way! Just say the magic word!” “Please?” “Nope!” Kaoru gasped. “What about peas?” Fijuri giggled, trying to keep her smile mellow. “What about capris?” “Fuck!” Madison groans. “That stupid fuckin’ bear’s gonna kill us if you idiots don’t get off your ass and try ‘n figure it out!” Right when Madison spoke, a series of words appeared before our eyes, letter by letter, on each side of the statue’s foundation. “Wait, what the hell?! This place’s fuckin’ insane, how did that even-” “Pipe down, Madison, will ya? Can’t read these things with your yappin’ in our hearin’ holes.” # You are free to explore at your own discretion, though you are not to enter the forest surrounding the circle. # Nighttime will be from 10 PM to 7 AM. Announcements will be made to mark the switch between daytime and nighttime. Be careful for restrictions placed during this time period. # Violence against Monokuma is strictly forbidden. # Should a murder occur, an investigation period will take place, and shortly after, a trial to convict the killer. Attendance is mandatory. # If the killer, known as “blackened”, survives the trial, they will be forgiven of their crime and be free from the killing game as the sole survivor. # If the guilty party is exposed, they alone will face punishment. If the guilty party is not exposed, everyone else will face this punishment. # When three or more people discover a body, the Body Discovery Announcement will play. # Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder. The only exception is in the event of a rule violation. # A minimum of three people, including the blackened, must remain alive to participate in a trial. # New rules may be added as necessary. Announcements will be made to notify you of rule changes. Ameko gasped. “The runes, the runes! These must be the laws of this land, is that correct, foul beast?” “Of course they are! How dumb are you? Are you dumb? Is that why you need to use those weird words?” “He-hey, relax...! No need to get all worked up, dudes.” “There’s plenty of reason to be upset. Read the room.” “That doesn’t mean we gotta argue, though, does it? C’mon, we got this!” “Let them argue, Eve… Let them argue! Don’t try and get in the way of their fun~” “Holy shit! This is getting juicy already! Maybe I won’t even have to get involved at this rate…~” “Of course it is! I got’cher back, ya funky little bear man…” “Your diminutive title for the ursine… It was spelled incorrectly. Affirmative?” “This is a spoken conversation. Nevertheless, it’s not as if that’s the only reason to be upset with his words… and the way he said them, of course.” “Of course I misspelled it!” “Well, Mr. Okamoto, that’s the spirit! And since you guys don’t need me to pick fights for you, I’ve got... other business… to attend to!” And at that moment, the bear disappeared, seemingly behind the statue, leaving us in his wake. For a moment, we could do nothing but stand in the still air, none of us having any coherent words to fill it with. Perhaps some were already formulating a way out, or a way to kill, or dreading the number of ways they could brutally die. It permeated into the air, sitting on our heads and chests like a weight, suffocating some as they stood there, bringing others crumbling down under the pressure. Finally, the silence was ended by a groan, as Evangeline combed her fingers through the tops of her braids. “This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous! We gotta find a way out of this wreck, we gotta!” “We’ll find a way, Eve. Everyone here is perfectly capable.” “Are we, now…? Oh, you flatter me, Akimi...~!” “Of course. We *are* all Ultimate students, after all.” “Yeah, yeah, let’s grab that bear by its horns! Its cute, fluffy, ear-shaped horns~!” Teddy giggled. “Let’s yeet this wheat!” Halfway through his sentence, Kaito joined Teddy in laughter. “Is this really the right place to joke around?” “Any place is the right place to joke around~! They’re just making the situation easier, aren’t they?” Momiji produced a new puppet: a green puffball, designed to resemble a plant, with a black face added on, eyes closed and mouth open in cheer. “C’mon, Ina, we can’t lose our spirits now! The only way to get out is to put our big ol’ brains together!” “Naive...” “I prefer ‘hopeful’!” “You sound like you’re from some cheesy TV movie! Why are you going *on* and *on* like that?” “I just like to be optimistic~!” She turned around, giving a light tap to the tip of Kaoru’s nose, and in turn, they jerked their head back, trying to stare down the bridge of their nose. “It always is best to keep pushing forward, isn’t it?” “Alright, mister copper… Just gonna make things easier for those of us who actually wanna get outta here, right…?” PROLOGUE - END 16 SURVIVORS REMAINING Casey Citaly-Spiros | Momiji Yotsuba | Valerian Fujimoto | Sora Okamoto Ina Bunmaru | Madison Cavalier | Fijuri Austrella | Moses Abergel Evangeline Maddox | Kishiko Aikawa | Jupiter Monroe | Akimi Yukimori Kaoru Maza | Ameko Sunohara | Kaito Aoki | Phantom Regiment Category:Blog posts